One interesting question--never yet answered by anybody--is why
are we over there? Another is "how does this enhance our national
security?"

The best anybody has done with "why are we over there" is:
1) Saddam was a bad guy.
...well yes, but so are lots of people. For some reason
we chose to invade Iraq. No one can tell us why.
Remember that Al Queda didn't get there until after
the invasion.

How does this enhance our security?
2)
You tell me. Al Queda has alienated enough Iraqis
the Sunnis are now fighting them. And for some reason
nobody really understands, the Al Sadr malicia is
taking an extended break. This is good news to US troops,
but there STILL is no likelyhood of any kind of a government
over there anytime soon. Why and how are we now more secure
than we were 5 years ago? The opposite is true. Things are
far worse. See item #3

3) the biggest single outcome so far has been the regional increase
in power and influence for Iran. That is not good news for us.
For that we can thank Bush/Cheney. We've spent trillions
of dollars to make the middle east less stable, and to enrich
Halliburton. Meanwhile we're going broke, and getting nothing for it.